The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-12-22
TIE ORIGIN G. CRHI3T"A5.
The 18th Of E"c"I"bcr Vas Originally
tn" T:"I.3:tn s;rturre,iia.

TIE ORIGIN O. CRTI3T"A5.
The 18th Of EcccIabcr Vas Originally
the T:"I.3an srturraiia.
Tic celebration cf t'hr.stin"4 IS tic
birthday of Jesus is universal Among
Chri-tiHns of every .r-t. and - Zach it
is regarded throughout christe;.Gom rs
the sweetest, hottest Of al hrIid@yN. and
with the long m0Otcd question, j. Dee. -
the anniversary OF CIiist'S birth; we have
nothing Ia do. For il matter, nothing
whether it was On this particular
date that tie Christ Child first
lay in Ecthlchcm'; IDwiy nangcr.
This is the day hat has Leon ac-
copied and VIII bc celebrated 10 the end
of time 1t VIII DC Of interest to most
readers however, 10 note that it was not
until the Third or Fourth century that
the present date vas n:rc"d upon, and
that Jan. /, Jan. 6. March 20 and Sept.
% were variously observed during the
earlier centuries hy various bodies OF
Christians. The fling Of the date seems
to have been accomplished 10y julius |,
who presided ~ pope or bishop Of Rome
from :j:}7 to 3:2 j. d.
Christmas is not alone among Chris
tian holidays III Icing the follower Of n
somewhat similar holiday among the pa
gans. In Rome it was called the Satur-
MALTA. And til" observance of the winter
feast, now Christmas, Wa, not confined 10
the Romans. The holiday appears to
have been Kept by the SC;ludinnVianS, the
Pcrsians and the PhWnicians, and pcr-
haps by many other people. III these Ha-
tons wOraiipcd the sun under ono form or
other, rs the Riycr OF all lfc. Zach gave
the deity Il different name. at Rome lie
NtILli,in.I e y,
attributed to Saturn. tie fHthcr Of tie
gods; among the Scandimayiana ns Odin. or
WOODEN, the father of Thor; with the Per
Sims as MitfIraS, probably the same as the
Irish Mithr, and with the Phuuicians his
name was Banl or Bel.
All these nations chose about the Same
date for ills feast. This is supposed to
hive been caused by the feelings Of de
light experienced shortly after Dec 81, be-
cause the days then begin to lcngthon
Then the sun begins his upward course,
and spring and summer are approaching.
For somewhat similar reasons the pagaDs
of old held II great midsummer feast at or
about June 81.
The midWntcr festival of the Satrr-
MALTA was observed for several days in
the most unrcStraincd manner: every
body Toasted and work WAS quite sus-
j
complete liberty for the time being.
J.aurcls AMI cgcr@rccns were everywhere
displayed, the same Is How. and gifts were
exchanged, md there were especial Greet
in=$ for the season. IN tie north these
rcJnicinGs were carried on in some
what ruCCr fashion, but were en-
tered into with not less hearty
enthusiasm. Fires were everywhere Kin
died, both indoors and out, in honor Of
Odin and Thor; the nruids gathered the
sacred mistlctoc, and both men and cattle
were sacrificed to the savage divinitics.
The ancient Pcrsiana also burned immense
bonflrcS ut this season, and between them
and the fruilS OF western Europe some
sort Of relationship existed
IN the later days Of the Roman empire
the feast Of the SaturAalia dctcrioratcd
into cross dcbaUcil-ao gross indeed, ,
that few historians have cared TO dcfilc
their pnCcs with its dvt&ils
1t was Tor the purpose of countcracting
the evil Influences Of thc Saturnalia. to
the celebration cf which the young Of both
sexes were very prone, tina; the early
Christian teachers in Rome sought to
ndnpt the rites Of EcUthcu iriaicin. and
render them subscrvicrt. instead of an
ta@oniStic, to the cause If religion Ger
tain forms Of amusement were forbidden
and others not so gross were substituted.
but 1t was a lonG time before the people
&nd the CLERGY were of one mind REGARD
Ing the "hSrrvaucCs OF Christmas.
liz Britain there were other modified
lions. To the modified s;aturnalia were
added first some OF the Druidical rite; and
supcrstltions, and, after the arrival of the
SaXons, some of the ceremonies of the
ancient Germans and Scaudiuavians. Cf
these were the burning; Of the Nule leg,
and the supcrStitions regarding the mis-
tlctoe bough.
In England the burning of the Y-ulc lor
takes place Christmas eve In fCu,lal
times the bringing in Of the pondcrcus
block ana burning il ON the wide hearth
or the great chimney of the bar0nial hall
WAS observed with the greatest rCjuicina..
The dragging of the Iulc from the forc>t
TO the castle was an elaborate ceremony
or itself, and rs it passed. every wayfar,r
raised his hat, for well he knew that i,s
flame would light up scenes of ieastiny
and forgiveness of old wrongs, and that
all would lie welcome
The following quaint dirty, aprONos Of
the uic, i supposed 20 have been written
during the reign of Henry NJ:
Welcome be thou, heavenly King;
W. lcomc, born on This morning:
Welcome, for whom shall siu-:
Welcome NUlc
Welcome bc ye, Stephen and John,
Mec"me, Innuc'ntS every one;
Welcome, Thomas. martyr one;
Welcome GuIc.
Welcome b. W.. good New Near.
Welcome Twelfth day. both in fcra.
Welcome, saints loved and dear:
Welcome Yulc
Welcome bc We Candlcn,as.
Ncic"me L. lc. queen uf bliss:
Nclcoflc lnth To- more and less.
Welcome Eule
Welcome u yc that are here.
N"lcnn'r ALI and make good cheer
N.oonc all another veCr:
Wclenne Yulc
'In company
Among the English the mistlc.nc ro,,-,